This thick, rich-tasting soup, which features the intense woodsy flavor of dried porcini, is a good choice for a chilly fall or winter day. Try it topped with quickly sautéed slightly bitter greens, such as endive. Try topping the soup with crisp garlicky croutons. It’s a good choice for the first course, because it’s light and colorful as well as delicious. Frozen puréed winter squash may be substituted for the pumpkin.
Pumpkin and Porcini Soup
Recipe type: soup
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
- ½ cup broken pieces dried porcini mushrooms (about ¾ounce)
- 2 cups boiling water
- 2 large onions, minced (about 3 cups)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, olive oil, or butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 1½ tablespoons fresh sage (2 teaspoons dried)
- dash of nutmeg
- ¼ cup Marsala or dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 cup unsweetened apple juice and 1 cup water, or 2 cups vegetable stock
- 4 cups puréed cooked pumpkin (29-ounce can)
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup milk or half-and-half (optional)
Instructions
- Break up any large pieces of porcini.
- Place the porcini in a heatproof bowl, cover with the boiling water, and set aside to soak.
- In a soup pot on medium heat, sauté the onions in the oil for 5 to 10 minutes, until softened.
- Add the garlic, fresh mushrooms, thyme, and sage, and sauté until the mushrooms are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in the nutmeg, Marsala or sherry, and soy sauce.
- Add the apple juice and water, or vegetable stock, and heat almost to a boil.
- Stir in the pumpkin.
- Remove the porcini from the soaking water with a slotted spoon and add them to the soup.
- Pour the soaking water through a coffee filter or a paper towel into another bowl to remove any grit, and add it to the soup.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- If you prefer a creamier soup, add the milk or half-and-half.
- Serve hot.
I’m Looking for a butternut (or other fall squash) soup.